Center Leah Murphy nails a jump shot over Catherine Callaghan for the Cougars, scoring two of her team-high 14 points
Credits: Ari Gilberg

Horiuchi drains a free throw for the Lancers, she would go 1/2 from the line
Credits: Ari Gilberg

Livingston head coach Patty Kaes addresses her team during a timeout
Credits: Ari Gilberg

LIVINGSTON, NJ - Livingston co-captain and senior Caroline Cole sat in tears on the Lancer bench just minutes away from tip-off. Cole and fellow senior co-captain Alayna Liska were both emotional after just being praised alongside senior manager Rachel Gisser, by head coach Patty Kaes and their teammates. The Lancers (9-9) honored their departing graduates on “Senior Night” by defeating the Montclair Kimberley Cougars (10-9) 45-31 to return to .500

“It feels really nice,” Cole said after the game. “It’s great to get a little revenge on them since we lost to [57-22] the first time around.”

Cole, who finished with eight points, helped lead an emotionally energized Livingston team, sinking two quick shots to jump out to an early 8-5 lead. The Cougars answered right back going on a 9-3 run behind center Leah Murphy and guard Izzy Mendez. Murphy and Mendez combined for 11 of the Cougars’ 14 total points in the quarter.

Behind center Catherine Callaghan’s six points, the Lancers’ regained control and took a 22-20 lead heading into halftime. Callaghan, who finished with a team-high 16 points and six rebounds, left Montclair Kimberley head coach Jessica Bishop completely flustered. At several times throughout the game, Bishop exploded on her players screaming phrases such as: “Where is [Callaghan]?!” “Do not let her get the ball!” and “Put a body on her!”

No amount of shouting could derail the junior star, who continued to torch the Cougars’ defense scoring eight more points in the third quarter to spark a second half surge and increase the Lancers’ lead to ten.

Following Livingston’s decisive victory, Callaghan took no praise and rather credited her teammates’ play for her impressive performance.

“It feels good, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Callaghan said. “We’re just really coming together as a team and playing well.”

The Lancers certainly came together in the second half, outscoring the Cougars 23-11 in the final 16 minutes of play. Guards’ Katie Horiuchi, Nicole LaRusso, and forward Sarosha Parsons helped contribute to the Lancers’ success, accounting for Livingston’s final six points in the fourth quarter, and ending any hope of a late comeback attempt from Montclair Kimberley.

The short-handed Cougars’ squad, who were without four of their starters due to severe illness, certainly appeared out-manned down the stretch, allowing the Lancers to command a sizeable lead in the final minutes and never being able to draw within single digits.

Kaes, who acknowledged the fact that the different Cougar personnel could have been a factor, believes the main reason behind her team’s success was emotional atmosphere regarding “Senior Night.”

“There was an emotional aspect,” Kaes said. “And it led to these girls’ playing their butts’ off.”

Livingston will hope to ride this recent momentum and get above .500 with a win over St. Elizabeth Monday. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Dennis Rodman’s friends say he is “living like a Livingston kid” while he is in town doing an outpatient program for Turning Point Rehab Center.

Livingston native Chris “Vo” Volo, an agent for Prince Marketing Group, has been representing Rodman for seven years and the two quickly became ...

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Six Livingston High School (LHS) students recently became finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program and will be considered for National Merit Scholarships to be offered in 2018.

New Jersey Governor Phillip D. Murphy signed Executive Order No.1 on Monday ordering the flag of the United States of America and the Flag of the State of New Jersey to be flown at half-staff to recognize and mourn the passing of the victims in Parkland, FL.

The order is for all state offices, agencies and municipalities, including schools for Tuesday, Feb. 20.

WEST ORANGE, NJ – Children of all ages are invited to participate in spring and summer camp opportunities at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, Essex County Codey Arena and the Essex County Environmental Center.

The zoo has several weeklong camp adventures that will introduce children to the extraordinary world of animals, nature and science. Campers and their parents/guardians are ...

WEST ORANGE, NJ – Children of all ages are invited to participate in spring and summer camp opportunities at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, Essex County Codey Arena and the Essex County Environmental Center.

The zoo has several weeklong camp adventures that will introduce children to the extraordinary world of animals, nature and science. Campers and their parents/guardians are ...

Now that college acceptances are rolling in, how do I decide which to attend?

Your hard work in high school has paid off. You took your SAT/ACT exams, got the best grades you could, and filled out as many applications as you needed to. Acceptance letters are starting to come in and you need to make a decision on where you will go in the fall. It's hard to decide!! Here are some tips and ...

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Livingston Public Library has participated in the U.S. Treasury Tax Forms Outlet Program (TFOP) as a service to the community for many years. Through this program, public libraries and other agencies received income tax forms and instruction booklets to make available to the public.

Although the program has been downsized in the past few years, the library still receives ...